Railroad-washout safety device



w. R. POOL ET AL RAILROAD wAsHoU'r SAFETY DEVICE Dec. 25, 1928.

Filed March 19, 1928 llJ Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

* UNITED STATES ymarica PATENT OFFICE. l

lWILLIAM R. POOL, 0F ENNIS, AND EARL W. MEALER, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

RAILROAD-WASHO'UT SAFETY DEVICE.

Application led March 19, 192B. kSerial No. 262,855.

Our invention relates to signals and particularly to devices for use inconnection with railways, in low lands and on trestles and bridges whereexcessive flood water threatens to cause damage or collapse of vsuchstructures or trackage.

The ob]ect had in view is to provide means for closing the circuitbetween the rails of a track when water rises to a dangerousheight andis intended more particularly tobe used in connection with the blocksignal system already installed on railways, and to set the dangersignal when water rises to a predetermined height.

The invention consists also of special means for permitting the circuitto remain closed after the water has receded or until such time as it isdesired to open it by hand.

For full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thevfollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is apers tive view way with our device installed,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the float chamber, the switchbox and the post connecting they two,

of a rail- Figure 3 is a section of switch box taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2,

Figure 4 is a detail section of the roller on the switch handle, and istaken on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Corresponding and like parte are referred to in the followingaccompanying description and indicated in all the views of theaccompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, the concrete box 1 contains and protects the oat casing2,. 'In the casing is an opening 3 to permit an inflow of water. Ahollow post 4 acts as a.v support for the switch box 5 and carries thefloat rod 6, the upper end of which is attached to a bellcrank 7. Anordinary-knife switch 8 mounted on an insulated block 9 with contactpoints 10 is so positioned that a movement of the bell crank 7 willclose a circuitthrough the conductor wires 11 which connect with therails 12 through the conduit 13. The handle of the switch 8 is providedwith a roller bearing y14.k This bearing is intended to reduce thefriction between the bell-crank and the switch when in operation. Thehandle of the switch protrudes through a slot 15 in the partition wall16 where it can be reached by hand through the door 17 and opened whenit has vonce been closed.

cuit being now closed throughy the rails of the track operates semaphore20 showing the t danger signal to the trainmen. It will be noted thatwhen the switch is once closed it will remain closed, even afterthewater has receded, and until it is again opened by hand. This is apart of the novel feature of our invention and for which we will makeclaim. n

f Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is f In a signal, the combination with aconcrete box positioned at high-water level adjacent a railroadsemaphore alongsidetrack rails, of a hollow post supported on andextending upwardly from said box, a switch box mounted on the upper endof said post, a float arm pivoted intermediate its ends within saidconcrete box, said arm having one of its ends in the form of a :floatand its opposite end terminat- 'a connecting rod projecting axiallythroughy said post having its lower end pivoted tothe end of said floatarm opposite said float, said connecting rod having its upper endpivoted to one 'of said legs, said roller bearing engaging the other ofsaid legs to movesaid handle to close said switch when'the bell crank isactuated by the float moving upwardly under the influence of waterrising to a high-water level in said concrete box7 said switch being:rin circuit with said rails and said semaphore7 whereby the dangerousrise of water moving the said float to Close Said switch will anto- 5niatieall)v set the danger signal in said semaphore, said danger signalremaining in set position even after the float has dropped as a resultof the droppingr of the level of the water adjacent the signal, untilsaid arm is manually moved to open said switch. 1**

In testimony whereof we ax our signalures.

WILLIAM R. POOL. EARL W. MEALER.

